Billionaire Population Hits 1,453—Or Maybe 4,000

Guessing the number of billionaires in the world (or even in a single country) is just that — a guessing game. But it's a highly profitable and increasingly popular one.

Bloomberg does it. Wealth-X does it. Forbes has been doing it for more than 30 years.

The latest guesstimate is from The Hurun Report in China. Hurun said there are 1,453 billionaires (in U.S. dollars) worldwide. They had a combined fortune of $5.5 trillion — equal to China's gross domestic product.

The average age is 63. One in 10 is female.

The "10-zero-club"— individuals with $10 billion or more — now totals 108 billionaires. Topping the list is the same trio that tops the other billionaire lists: Carlos Slim, followed by Warren Buffett, Spanish fashion magnate Amancio Ortega, Bill Gates, and LVMH chief Bernard Arnault.